SPECIAL REPORT : HOTELIERS OF THE WORLD
Hoteliers
2013
World
of the
Both Peter Borer and Paul Leone shy away from attention , but HOTELS readers couldn ’ t help but notice their tireless commitment to the best hotelkeeping .
In some ways , you could call both Peter Borer and Paul Leone unlikely hoteliers . Neither had an easy path to success in the industry . Before his career even began , Borer was concerned he wouldn ’ t pass his final prep exams to enter Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne — yet he managed to convince the dean to admit him anyway . Of course , this year ’ s Corporate Hotelier of the World ultimately more than proved he was a deserving student , today holding the ranks of chief operating officer of The Peninsula Hotels and executive director of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels . Despite the prominence he has achieved , however , Borer hardly craves the spotlight . “ In our industry , it is very important to stay humble ,” he says . “ Our industry has a tendency to spoil certain people , and when they get spoiled they take themselves too seriously . I prefer to stay in the background .”
Leone ’ s first taste of the hospitality world came at a 17-room motel he ran with his family as a teenager . He had no idea then hotels were his calling , so he studied accounting and was hired as controller at The Breakers Palm Beach only after he audited the property with Coopers & Lybrand . Leone rose through the ranks quickly , however , and became president of The Breakers at age 36 — a post he has held for almost 20 years now . “ I ’ ve gotten a lot of attention from other companies , and I really don ’ t even take the phone calls because it ’ s not about a bigger , more lucrative job ,” Leone says . “ I love coming to work more than ever . And there ’ s so much more work to do .”
On the pages ahead , Borer and Leone show their passionate commitment to the hard work of the hotel business — hard work they also happen to love — as each day they continue to earn HOTELS ’ highest honor . www . hotelsmag . com November 2013 HOTELS 25